Romance scams cost Americans record $1.3 billion in 2025

• More than 49,000 Americans reported losing a collective $1.3 billion to romance scams in 2025, a record high, according to Federal Trade Commission data shared with the Associated Press.
• The total represents at least a 14% increase from the previous year, according to the AP.
• Victims include Jean Booth, who lost money to a man she met online who called himself Donnie Fanelli.
• The scams often involve prolonged manipulation, with victims sending money for plane tickets, emergencies, and other fabricated needs.

Victim describes emotional toll of online romance scam

The Associated Press reported the story of Jean Booth, a woman who spent months exchanging messages with a man she believed was Donnie Fanelli, a boyfriend she had never met in person or spoken to on the phone. One afternoon last August, Booth waited at a Thai restaurant off a highway, expecting Fanelli to arrive from the airport. She had not heard from him all day.

According to the AP, Booth checked her phone repeatedly during the meal. Fanelli did not call or text. Hours later, he sent a WhatsApp message saying he could not get a plane ticket, that he was stuck and in danger, and that he was sorry. He asked her for money again. Booth pulled into a parking lot in suburban Virginia and cried.

The AP reported that Booth had been forced to move into her father’s house in Ohio after her life fell apart in the spring, in no small part because of the relationship with Fanelli. She had lost money sending funds for what she believed were legitimate needs.

The FTC data, obtained by the AP, shows that romance scams hit a record high last year, with at least 49,000 Americans reporting losses totaling $1.3 billion. The increase from the prior year is at least 14%, and the AP reported that the actual figure is likely higher.

The scams typically involve fraudsters creating fake online identities, building emotional relationships with victims over weeks or months, and then fabricating emergencies that require money. Victims often never meet the person behind the profile.